Dozens of countries rallied behind Ukraine at a United Nations session in Geneva on Tuesday, following the adoption of a US-drafted Security Council resolution that took a neutral position on the war.
The meeting, which was convened to mark Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression, followed the resolution that had been passed a day before in New York on the third anniversary of the war. The resolution was a sign that reflected President Donald Trump’s new US policy, where he preferred a gentler approach with Russia.
You are not alone. Norway and other countries will stand with you as you fight for your territorial integrity, sovereignty, and human dignity,” Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik told a packed room of ministers and diplomats.
Since the 2022 invasion by Russia, thousands of Ukrainians have been killed, and more than six million have been displaced abroad. Russia’s actions are justified as a response to NATO expansion in the east and are described by Russia as a “special military operation.”
Estonia’s Undersecretary for International Affairs, Minna-Liina Lind, criticized the Security Council resolution for not having the wording regarding the territorial integrity of Ukraine. “But I believe that the European will is even greater. When someone else isn’t as capable, the others make up,” she told Reuters.
Although Washington pushed on, the UN General Assembly defeated the Security Council’s resolution and passed instead motions more in line with Ukraine, which was a diplomatic setback for the US
The Geneva conference was represented mainly by European nations, including France and Germany, and other nations including Turkey, South Korea, Australia, and Japan. The US was there with a representative but did not take part actively.
Ukraine’s ambassador, Yevheniia Filipenko, was overcome with emotion as she urged continued support for the rebuilding of Ukraine and bringing war criminals to justice. “The way forward is extremely difficult, but when we stand together, we can succeed,” she stated.
